LPT: Your wages should increase substantially every 12-18 months no matter what. If your wages are not, it is because you’ve been misled or you failed to advocate for yourself. Stop blaming things you cannot control.

Your wages should increase substantially every 12-18 months no matter what. If your wages are not, it is because you’ve been misled or you failed to advocate for yourself. Stop blaming things you cannot control.<br><br>EDIT: Wow! Thanks for the awards! I hope this helped people. This also generated a ton of comments, so I’ll just address some common themes.<br><br>- You can’t compare yourself to others. Your trajectory is yours alone. That’s why you need to focus on your own growth. <br><br>- If your company is struggling financially, it may be time to start looking and planning for the worst-case scenario. Companies go out of business all the time. Senior leadership will have to decide whether to keep the lights on or pay employees reasonably. They owe you NOTHING.<br><br><br>- If you cannot find a job that pays you “substantially” more, you may be selling yourself short. Understand your self worth. You have to be able to communicate your value to employers. You are not entitled to a higher paying job. You will need to demonstrate your worth to them and the labor market. <br><br>- Education is a tool. More education does not automatically mean higher wages. This is why you need to focus on your own growth. Are you more valuable than you were last year? If yes, then your wages should be higher.<br><br>- Healthcare workers are severely underpaid. I would argue that the healthcare system is broken. I am not sure if that means that your wages are broken. I’m not sure what the solution is here.